Posts tagged: Nerves

Have you noticed that you have trouble performing your normal daily activities? Do you have pain, loss of feeling, changes in muscle control?

These could be symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Talk to your doctor about all the changes you have noticed. It is important to find treatment options for peripheral neuropathy that are right for you.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Neuropathy describes the abnormal function of one or more peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves refer to nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Causes of peripheral neuropathy include physical damage, disease, infections, metabolic processes, or toxins like chemotherapy. Diabetes is one of the most common causes of neuropathy.

Symptoms of neuropathy include weakness, numbness, and pain. The pain is usually described as tingling, burning, or stabbing in nature. This occurs most often in the hands and feet but may happen anywhere in the body.

How Neuropathy Impacts Your Body Function

Your nervous system carries signals to and from your brain. This allows you to move and feel sensations.

Combination neuropathies describe a mixture of 2 or 3 of the other types of neuropathies.

Why is it Important to Treat Neuropathy?

Severe cases of neuropathy can result in death.

If you are unable to control your muscle movement, you may be unable to walk or care for yourself. You may also have trouble using your hands, talking, or swallowing.

Impaired sense of touch may interfere with your ability to feel the floor causing you to fall. You may touch a hot pan causing severe burns. Blisters often occur on the feet in people with neuropathy and can lead to infection and even amputation.

Losing the ability to regulate automatic functions can cause organ failure. If your heartbeat is irregular, your heart does not fully fill with blood before it sends it to the body. When the stimulation to breathe regularly is lost, oxygen levels fall and all body tissues begin to die.

It is Time to Get Started on Treating Your Peripheral Neuropathy

The professionals at Carolinas Regenerative Medicine will work with you to develop treatment options for peripheral neuropathy tailored to your specific needs. We’d be happy to answer your questions and help develop a plan of care for you.

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably heard about peripheral neuropathy before. Have you ever known a diabetic who complained of tingling feet or heard about someone who can’t feel pain? These all fall under the umbrella of peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is a complex group of conditions that deal with damage to the nerves. It can cause pain, numbness, and other discomforts. Read on to learn more about this condition and why you should take it seriously.

What Is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage to the peripheral nervous system, the system that connects your brain to the rest of your body. You can have loss of signal, distorted messages, or inappropriate signaling. More than 20 million Americans deal with some form of neuropathy

There are three primary types of peripheral neuropathy: motor nerve, sensory nerve, and autonomic nerve. Motor nerves control muscles under conscious control (such as those used for walking), while sensory nerves transmit touch sensations and pain. Autonomic nerves control automatic functions of the body, such as breathing, heart and gland functions, and digesting.

What Does It Mean for You?

Neuropathy can present differently for each patient, depending on the type and extent of the nerve damage. If you have motor nerve damage, you may experience weakness, cramps, or twitching.

Sensory nerve damage can be more serious and can affect how or if you feel pain. Some people may experience pain even when something as light as a bed sheet lays over their bodies. Others may not be able to experience pain at all, which can lead to unnoticed injuries.

Automatic nerve damage can cause heat intolerance, stomach upset, and trouble swallowing. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a form of peripheral neuropathy in which the immune system attacks the body’s nerves. More common problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, also fall under the umbrella of peripheral neuropathy.

Why Should You Take It Seriously?

Neuropathy can come with very serious symptoms that can affect every part of your life. The good news is that more than 95 percent of cases are preventable.

Research has linked many types of peripheral neuropathy with diabetes, which is preventable in many cases. Some simple healthcare precautions can keep you from having to deal with pain, weakness, and even surgery.

Explore Treatment Options

Peripheral neuropathy can range from inconvenient to very serious. You can avoid most cases by living a healthy lifestyle and staying away from unneeded medical procedures. If you do start to experience any of the symptoms described, please see your doctor as soon as possible.

If you’d like to seek treatment for neuropathy, get in touch with us at Carolinas Regenerative Medicine. We use innovative techniques to promote healing from the inside, restoring your body to its former health. Contact us today to get started stopping pain in its tracks.